LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – The state’s homeless populations increased from 2021 to 2022. According to Michigan’s Campaign to End Homelessness, in the Upper Peninsula alone, homelessness saw an increase of 47%, from 696 people served by emergency shelters, to 1,026.
To address some of the mistreatment those without housing face, Michigan State Representative Emily Dievendorf introduced the Homeless Bill of Rights in July 2023. Representative Dievendorf said they hope these bills can take steps to protect those facing homelessness while the legislature works on more long-term solutions.
The bills outline a person’s right to equal treatment from State and municipal agencies, freedom from discrimination in employment, the right to emergency medical care, and a public education regardless of housing status or ability to provide a permanent address.
“All it does is ensure that regardless of housing status, everybody has the same access to resources to our public agencies and it lists out some of the main ways those resources can be denied.” Representative Dievendorf said. “The focus right now should be ensuring that those folks who are struggling the most, who just do not have access to resources that currently do not exist get the help they need to get to the root of the social determinants of houselessness without being degraded along the way.”
The bills aim to lay out the specific rights, to ensure their denial isn’t overlooked. Before starting work on this legislation, Representative Dievendorf spent time doing direct service work with Michigan’s homeless population, and they often faced obstacles because without a permanent address, receiving personal identification is difficult. Lack of identification can complicate access to many public services, The Representative said even getting into public buildings can be difficult.
“One of the points that was brought up while we had testimony on this particular bill is that we couldn’t have any folks who were currently presently homeless offer testimony because they couldn’t get into the building.” Representative Dievendorf said.
Dievendorf said that legislation like this will allow homeless individuals to seek civil damages for being denied access to public services because of their housing status.
“The reason I’m so passionate about homelessness is because homelessness is one issue we actually know how to end and we just don’t, it really is on policymakers to do what’s necessary to end homelessness because until or unless we do, it will continue.” Representative Dievendorf said. “It is not on the average person, it is not a personal failing, it is a systemic failing.”
Dievendof said these bills are just the start of addressing solutions to reduce Michigan’s homeless population and ensure people are treated fairly as they work on more legislation and solutions in the state’s campaign to end homelessness in Michigan.
